


The Flutter of a Butterfly's Wings

by teddiehtet



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Grim Reaper Sougo, Guardian Angel Iori, Human Riku, Human Tamaki, M/M, Mezzo", Rating May Change, additional tags to be added later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:14:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26100028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teddiehtet/pseuds/teddiehtet
Summary: Humans and reapers- two completely different entities. Humans aren’t supposed to see reapers, and reapers are all supposed to finish their jobs on time, collecting souls, with no exceptions…and yet…“Okay.”The young man’s head shot up, his blue eyes suddenly twinkling with a new spark of hope.“I can...let your mom live through the night.”Tamaki lunged forward, suddenly grabbing the reaper’s shoulders. “Really? You’re serious right?”Flinching slightly from the initial touch, Sougo slowly nodded. “However, don’t misunderstand. I’ll be back tomorrow.”Tamaki heaved a huge, relieved sigh. Soon, a large, bright smile spread across his cheeks. “Yeah, but I’ll take what I can get. I’m glad at least that Aya and I can have a bit more time, even if it is only an extra day.”And yet he couldn’t refuse this one human’s quite selfish request.
Relationships: Yotsuba Tamaki/Ousaka Sougo
Comments: 10
Kudos: 42





	1. Chapter 1

_440...441...442…443..._

Lavender colored irises scanned the numbers on the doors as the reaper passed by silently. A group of nurses, excitedly chattering away, nonchalantly walked by him, not even sparing a glance. The young man continued his way down the numbered doors, until he found the room he was searching for. 

_...444_

He brought out a small booklet from the inner pocket of his suit jacket and flipped it open. After scanning the page, he went ahead and slid the door open. 

Upon entering, he muttered, “Yotsuba, Aoi. Age 45. Cause of death…” 

“Uh, who are you?” 

At the sudden question, the reaper’s head shot up, meeting the confused stare of a young man. From his observation of the young man’s light gray-blue hair and physical features, the reaper concluded that he was a relative, possibly the son, of the woman scheduled to die. 

Like a deer caught in headlights, the reaper’s stare stayed glued to the young man’s own light blue gaze. After a couple more moments of blatant staring, the reaper slowly turned his head right, then to the left, then back to the young man. Pointing at himself, he cautiously asked, “You… are you talking to me?” 

“Duh, who else just came into the room?”

“You...can see me?” The reaper questioned again. 

Now the young man was squinting, suspicion as well as pity evident on his face. “Yeah...like any normal person…?” 

“Onii-chan… who are you talking to?” 

The reaper’s attention quickly shifted to the new voice. Sitting on the other side of the bed, further away from him, was a teenage girl, whom he assumed was the young man’s little sister. 

_“It looks like she can’t see me.”_

“What do you mean, Aya? There’s a guy right here,” the young man said as he pointed right at the stranger. 

His little sister slowly turned her head in the direction her brother was pointing in, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “But...there’s no one else here…” 

Now her brother’s face reflected the same confusion. He whipped his head around to make sure the reaper was still there and then back to his sister. Meanwhile the reaper was partly still surprised and partly amused at the young man’s behavior. 

_“I should probably leave for now and come back later.”_

The reaper turned to open the door and step out, deciding to leave the siblings before he accidentally caused them any more distress. 

_“It’s very odd,”_ the reaper thought to himself as he crossed his arms and leaned on the wall outside the hospital room. _“How is a human able to see me?”_

The sound of the door suddenly sliding open caught his attention. He turned his head to see the young man stepping out and closing the door shut behind him. 

With a serious “Look, I don’t know who you are but it’s weird to just walk in to someone’s room and walk back out with no explanation.” 

Caught off guard again, the reaper could only blink. 

“You’re dressed all fancy, in a suit and everything,” the young man observed. “Hm, you don’t look like you’re one of the doctors here. So, who are you and what business do you have with my family?” 

“I just got the wrong room…” 

“How did you know my mom’s name then?” 

_“Shoot, that’s right, I mentioned her name,_ ” the reaper recalled, instinctively biting his lower lip out of slight panic. _“Maybe if I just walk away…”_

The reaper took a step back.

Almost as fast as the reaper turned, the young man reached out and grabbed his wrist. 

“Hold on-” 

_Bzzt_

The crackle of static electricity accompanied their contact, forcing both men to quickly withdraw their hands. The reaper lightly touched his wrist with his other hand, now even more overwhelmed by the fact that this human could not only see him, but also touch him. 

He finally stopped attempting to escape. Raising his head to stare straight into the young man’s eyes, the reaper asked, “Who are you?”

“Oh now you’re turning the question on to me?” the young man asked, as he flexed his fingers, nerves still tingling from the shock. “I asked you first.” 

The reaper finally gave in. No use trying to run away from a human who could converse with him _and_ was quite stubborn. 

“You can call me Sougo.” 

Throwing his head back, the young man whispered an exasperated, “Finally.” Pointing at himself, he continued, “I’m Tamaki.” 

“A pleasure,” Sougo acknowledged. 

“Mmhm. Now will you tell me how you knew my mom?”

Sougo instinctively crossed his arms, bringing them in tight against his chest. Another moment of hesitation. In contrast Tamaki, with his thumbs hooked on the seams of his pants pockets, casually leaned on the wall, keeping a steady gaze on Sougo. 

Sougo’s lips parted. 

“I’m...a reaper.” 

“Huh? Did you just say you’re a reaper?” 

Sougo nodded. “I am. I’m sorry to break the news so suddenly, but your mom won’t survive--” 

An amused scoff harshly slipped from Tamaki, interrupting Sougo in mid-sentence. “Why are you lying?” 

Sougo’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I’m not lying.” 

“You, a reaper?” Tamaki snorted. “Nice try, but reapers don’t exist.” 

Sougo gestured at himself. “You’re looking at one right here.” 

“Aren’t reapers supposed to be like these really scary looking things? You look like any other normal human,” Tamaki retorted. “You’re not even as tall as I am.” 

Pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers, Sougo harshly exhaled. “I don’t think that has any correlation…” 

“Well then prove it,” Tamaki challenged. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

Bringing his fingers to his chin, Sougo quickly observed his surroundings. They weren’t alone. Patients, visitors, and hospital staff casually walked by chatting with each other, on the phone, or lost in their own thoughts. 

“No one else here can see me,” Sougo confidently declared, swinging his arm in a graceful wave, gesturing at the rest of the humans scurrying about. 

“Nice try. Of course some random strangers aren’t going to pay attention to us. They don't know us and we don’t know them.”

Overcome by an urge to prove Tamaki wrong, Sougo calmly stepped out to the middle of the hallway. Crossing his arms and shifting most of his weight onto one leg, he stood, staring straight at the pair of nurses walking towards him. 

Tamaki’s eyes flitted back and forth from Sougo to the approaching nurses. Sougo still stood as if he was the only person in the hallway and the nurses kept walking closer, as if there wasn’t someone blocking the way. Right as Tamaki was about to reach out to pull Sougo out of the way, the nurses just passed through, walking through Sougo as if he was nothing. 

Tamaki blinked. “What.” 

With a small, satisfied smirk on his face, Sougo tilted his head. “Is this enough proof?” 

“Y-You sure you’re not a ghost?” 

“You believe in ghosts but not reapers?” 

Tamaki pushed himself off the wall and waved his arms wildly. “They just passed through you!” 

“Yes, like normal people are supposed to,” Sougo replied. “They’re not supposed to see, hear, or touch me.” 

“I… can see you just fine? We’re talking?” Tamaki stated, with a confused tilt to his voice. 

“Yes,” Sougo agreed. “You were also able to grab me.” 

“And that means…?” 

“I don’t know,” Sougo answered honestly. “I am curious about how _you_ are able to address me like a normal person. How are you able to see and hear me? How are you able to touch me?” 

Tamaki raised an eyebrow. “Hah? I don’t know, why are you asking me?” 

“Sorry, those are just questions I’ve been asking myself.” 

Sougo’s ears suddenly perked up, picking up on the concealed whispers of passersby. People were starting to throw glances at Tamaki and mumbling amongst themselves. 

“Let’s keep our conversation down,” Sougo suggested. “The people around us are starting to talk.” 

Relaxing his posture a bit, Tamaki took a breath. After a few seconds, he faced Sougo again, his expression becoming much more serious. “Well...okay then, let’s say I believe you. Let’s say you really are a reaper.” 

“I am.” 

“Ok, Reaper-san… Sougo-san,” Tamaki corrected. “If you knew my mom’s name then… you’re really here to take her away?” 

“Yes,” Sougo confirmed. “That was what I was trying to tell you before.”

“So...she really is going to die?” 

Sougo caught the way Tamaki’s lips pressed together, as well as how he lowered his gaze. Tamaki’s hands, which were resting on the wall behind him, were starting to curl into fists. 

_Denial and now acceptance?_

“I’m sorry to say, but your mother really isn’t going to make it.” 

Tamaki’s eyes narrowed slightly. “But are you really sorry?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“If you’re sorry, you wouldn’t be taking her away,” Tamaki continued, his voice starting to tremble. “You have the power, the choice to leave her be.” His head shot up, once again meeting Sougo eye to eye. “If you really have some empathy, you wouldn’t kill her. You have that choice!” 

Taken aback at the small outburst, Sougo could only stand and stare. A few seconds passed before he answered, “I don’t.” 

“Huh?” 

The reaper repeated, “I don’t have a choice. I must fulfill my duty.”

“It’s your ability. You do what you want with it,” Tamaki retorted. “If that’s not a choice, then what is it?” 

“Yes, it’s my ability. But there are other forces at work here. One soul could make all the difference in the flow of destiny.” 

A switch seemed to have flicked on in Sougo’s mind. An indescribable emotion took over his chest- one that he hasn’t experienced during his time as a reaper before. He couldn’t put his finger on it. It wasn’t the burning heat of anger, nor was it the ice-cold prickliness of fear. 

“One’s action, no matter how small, can affect another thing somewhere else, in an entirely different way. There is always some kind of effect.” 

Sougo attempted to reign in his emotions. As a reaper, he wasn’t supposed to feel sorry in the first place. Empathy is not a part of them. It makes their jobs so much easier that way. 

“It’s not just a matter of choice,” Sougo continued. “I have a duty, a job. And I will see it through.” 

The noise of strangers walking around, both the loud and hushed voices of the people around them became muted. Sougo only honed his attention on the young man in front of him. 

Tamaki now broke eye contact with the reaper. Hearing Sougo talk about duty and destiny left a complicated mark on him, as if a ton of iron just replaced his heart. As a 23 year old, he has had his fair share of responsibilities and faced enough consequences to understand what the reaper was trying to emphasize. 

However he still wasn’t going down without a bargain. 

“Fine,” Tamaki muttered, his voice laced with frustration. “I get where you’re coming from.” 

“Thank you for understanding.” 

“But!” Tamaki swiftly interrupted. “But, can you come back another day? Can you give me and Aya some more time with our mom?” 

The young man suddenly pushed forward and bent his waist, presenting himself in a crisp bow. Keeping his eyes closed and holding just a little bit of optimism in his heart, he pleaded, “Our mom raised both of us by herself, and throughout both of our lives, she was there for us. We want to at least be there for her when she goes.” His hands tightened into fists. “I want my little sister to have a little more time with her. I want us to have some more time. So, please…” 

Sougo slowly brought his palm to his chest, confused at the sharp prickle he just felt. As he stared down at the young man’s bowed head, his lips parted slightly, genuinely surprised at the young man’s attempt at a plea for empathy. 

Empathy, an emotion that no reaper is supposed to carry. 

Sougo knew, logically, that this human’s life doesn’t concern him. After all, his job was to collect the mother’s soul. Reap the soul and return it to the cycle of life. No humans need to get involved at all. 

“Finish your job,” says Sougo’s mind, but the prickle in his chest pulled the brake. The longer he looked at Tamaki’s bowed profile, the more the feeling grew, and the more he felt a strange sting at the corners of his eyes. He swallowed, trying to wash down the lump in his throat. 

Before he knew it, he found himself answering. 

“Okay.” 

The young man’s head shot up, his blue eyes suddenly twinkling with a new spark of hope. 

“I can...let your mom live through the night.”

Tamaki lunged forward, suddenly grabbing the reaper’s shoulders. “Really? You’re serious right?” 

Flinching slightly from the initial touch, Sougo slowly nodded. “However, don’t misunderstand. I’ll be back tomorrow.” 

Tamaki heaved a huge, relieved sigh. Soon, a large, bright smile spread across his cheeks. “Yeah, but I’ll take what I can get. I’m glad at least that Aya and I can have a bit more time, even if it is only an extra day.” 

Sougo himself couldn’t believe it. For once, in his whole time as a reaper, here he was agreeing to postpone his work and indulging this human in his selfish request. And yet, the heavy, crushing pressure of guilt didn’t weigh on his head. 

How was it that this random human managed to jam a wrench into Sougo’s clockwork-like routine? 

* * *

“Sougo-san, you had business here today as well?” 

Sporting a white shirt and dress pants, complete with long, dark blue coat, a young, black haired man took his place beside Sougo. 

“Ah, Iori-kun,” Sougo greeted. “Yes, I did. Although I ran into some… complications today.” 

“That’s quite rare. You usually finish all of your tasks on time,” Iori commented.

With a dry chuckle, Sougo replied, “I just wasn’t able to get to one last person. I’ll be back another day.”

“Wouldn’t that interfere with the flow of souls?”

“Well...yes but it’ll be okay,” Sougo attempted to reason. “It’s just one late soul.”

Iori maintained a blank and steady stare, observing Sougo’s expressions. “If you say so, Sougo-san.” 

“As long as I collect it sometime soon it’ll be okay. Thank you for worrying about me, Iori-kun,” Sougo reassured. “By the way, how is your charge today?” 

A smile crept up Iori’s lips, disappearing as quickly as it formed when he tried to conceal it with a quick cough. “He’s as cheerful as always, despite being hospitalized...again.” 

“Was his brother there too?” 

“He’s there every day. Quite an overprotective older brother, I must say.” 

Sougo chuckled. “Your charge has a loving family. Do you think it makes your life a little easier as his guardian angel?” 

“His family truly loves him a lot,” Iori agreed. “However, I still do have my hands full watching over him.” 

“Being a guardian angel sounds tough, having to hover over your charges almost all the time,” Sougo commented. 

“Not as difficult as your job, in my opinion,” Iori replied. “As a novice, I’m currently assigned only one human so my job is not as taxing as my higher ups’.” 

“Being in charge of watching over a human life is a big responsibility.” 

“So is being tasked to take them away.” Iori cleared his throat. “By the way, I would like to ask you a question.” 

“Go ahead,” Sougo prompted. 

“You’ve been a reaper for centuries correct?” After earning a nod from Sougo, he continued, “Have you ever encountered a human who can see spirits?” 

Sougo raised an eyebrow. “A human who can see spirits?” 

“Correct.” 

“Well…” Sougo trailed off. 

Would Tamaki count, he wondered. 

Iori cut in, “I was just curious. It’s been bothering me for some time.” 

“I see,” Sougo murmured. 

“Nevertheless, it was nice running into you here, Sougo-san. I wish you good luck on the rest of your work.” Just as fast as he appeared, Iori vanished into thin air after saying his goodbye, leaving Sougo standing outside the hospital. 

_“A human who can see spirits, huh.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi~! I've had this idea for a really long time but never had the time to actually execute it. I'm glad I'm able to get at least something down for this AU! ;w; I was watching the K-drama "Goblin" and this idea popped up for TamaSou as I kept watching. 
> 
> I hope I was able to deliver a nice first chapter! Please feel free to let me know your thoughts! ^^ Tags will also be updated as the fic goes!
> 
> (Also, I just wanted to point out that Iori used Sougo's first name to address him because beings like them don't have last names.) 
> 
> \---  
> Kudos & comments are always appreciated! I'd love to hear your thoughts! ^^ 
> 
> Please feel free to talk with me on twitter! ( [ @bunnymikaaa](https://twitter.com/bunnymikaaa) )


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sougo comes back to finish his job and meets another peculiar boy.

“You’re back.” 

Tamaki was already standing in front of his mom’s hospital room, anticipating Sougo’s arrival. 

“I am, just like I said,” Sougo greeted. “Were you and your sister able to spend more time with your mother?” 

The young man nodded. “Aya’s still inside. She doesn’t know anything about….what’ll happen though.” 

“As she shouldn’t.” Just as he was about to enter the room, Sougo noticed Tamaki’s loosely crossed arms and slumped shoulders, along with the slight downward turn of his lips. His eyes, normally as blue as the clear sky, now resembled that of an overcast day instead. 

Instinctively, the reaper reached up to give Tamaki’s shoulder a comforting squeeze. Although he may not be able to offer the same comforting warmth of a human’s, he still left his hand on the young man’s shoulder. Maybe a hand, no matter how cold, is better than none at all. 

“You’re a strong person, Tamaki-kun.” 

Tamaki’s chest shook slightly with every low, unamused chuckle. “Am I?” 

Sougo gave Tamaki’s shoulder a small squeeze. “Of course. It’s not everyday a human runs into a situation like this. It’s a lot to take in, and it’s only been a couple of days. Coming to terms with a death in the family is… it’s very difficult.” 

“Hmm.” Tamaki tilted his head to the side, looking at Sougo straight in the eyes. “Have you ever felt that before? That feeling of having to cope with death.” 

The reaper paused. 

_Had he?_

From his memory, he doesn’t recall any moment where he himself had to deal with the complicated feelings of grief. He vividly remembers all his time as a reaper, having to collect all the souls he was assigned, with no problems. His mind clearly said he had never gone through the pain of losing a loved one to the cold embrace of death. 

Reapers don’t feel remorse for taking away souls. 

_“But...”_

A small, nagging tug on his heart said otherwise. Sougo couldn’t quite put a finger on it. Was it just mere confusion?

Closing his eyes and shaking his head a couple of times, Sougo replied, “To be honest, I don’t think so. I can’t imagine how you’re feeling right now.” Letting his eyes fly back open, the reaper returned the young man’s gaze just as intensely. “Someone like me cannot and will not be able to understand what you’re going through at this moment. However, I can tell with certainty that you’re staying very strong.” 

The reaper broke eye contact and let his hand fall back to his side. Just as he was about to enter the hospital room, Tamaki reached out and grabbed his wrist. 

“I’ll...I’ll go in with you,” he whispered. Before Sougo could reply, he continued, “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna stay long. I just wanna talk with both Mom and Aya for a little bit. Then Aya and I’ll both leave.” 

Sougo bit his lower lip lightly. However, after a few seconds, nodded, agreeing to Tamaki’s request. Taking a small breath in and then out, Tamaki looked up, a masked expression at the ready. 

“Hi Mom. Hey Aya. How’s everything going?” 

.

.

.

_With a goodbye to their mom that only Tamaki knew was their last, the Yotsuba siblings left the room. The older brother took one last glance back over his shoulder._

_Next to his mother’s bed, the reaper stood- his snow white hair, a stark contrast to the black suit he donned. He too met the young man’s gaze once more, and offered a short, reassuring nod._

_The young human reciprocated with a nod of his own._

_“Thank you.”_

* * *

A couple of hours passed, and Sougo finally got to his last soul of the day. He double-checked the room number before stepping in.

_Room 171_

Upon entering, he was greeted by the sight of an elderly man sleeping on the bed, still as a rock. Right next to the bed, another being was standing, watching the still form of the old man.

_"Already a spirit, I see."_

Sougo cleared his throat, immediately attracting the stranger’s attention. 

“Who...?” 

Sougo then opened his notebook before announcing, “Suzuki, Ken. Age 85. Cause of death, sudden cardiac arrest.” With a snap, he shut the book and tucked it away before facing the old man standing right beside the bed. 

Humming in understanding, the old man spoke, “Ah. I suppose you’re here to take me away?” 

The reaper nodded. 

The newly formed spirit slowly glanced over at his now lifeless body. The prominent crows feet at the corners of his eyes and the lines of wrinkles on his forehead once again reminding the spirit of his age. 

How fragile humans become with time. 

After a few seconds passed, the spirit sighed. “I guess I can’t really complain. I lived a full life.” 

“You’re surprisingly calm. However, please do take your time to process everything,” the reaper offered. “This moment can be overwhelming for some humans.” 

“It’s okay, young man,” the old man reassured. “I’ve had congestive heart failure for quite some time now. I knew this day would come sooner or later.” 

“Okay then.” Sougo held out his hand. “Shall we go?” 

Just as the spirit reached out to take the reaper’s hand, the sound of the door sliding open startled them both. A young man with bright red hair dressed in loose, comfortable clothes stood, with one hand on the door frame and another holding the door open. 

A small sigh slipped from Sougo’s lips. _“Oh, it’s just another human.”_

“I’m so sorry!” 

With his hand still hovering in mid-air, Sougo’s jaw dropped slightly. Just in case, his gaze quickly shifted to observe his surroundings. No other human was present. The young man at the entrance was looking straight at him, his bright red eyes boring into Sougo’s own lilac ones. If the reaper held any doubt that the human just happened to be speaking to someone else, those doubts were immediately crushed. 

The redhead quickly poked his head out to check the room number. “Oh no, I got the wrong room. I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything.” 

Now, Sougo was truly frozen in place. What were the chances of running into another human who could see him? The gears in his head started to turn. From what he could recall, during his whole career as a reaper, he had never had a problem being caught by humans. Now, he gets seen by two different humans, two days in a row. 

_“What in the world is happening…?”_

“I’m sorry,” the young man apologized again, frantically bowing his head. “I’ll be leaving now!” 

The door slid shut swiftly, followed by the patter of the young man’s retreating footsteps. 

Sougo tapped his notebook on his forehead and heaved a sigh. Another human just witnessed him about to collect a spirit. 

“That is...quite strange,” the spirit commented. 

“Yes,” Sougo agreed, his gaze still stuck on the closed door. “It very much is.” 

* * *

After finishing up his work for the day, Sougo absentmindedly walked around the hospital. The highly alert humans running past him or the constant buzz of business around him did nothing to bring him out of his stupor. Before long, he found himself standing in front of a vending machine, staring blankly at the drink choices. 

“Um...” 

Sougo closed his eyes and suppressed the urge to sigh. At this point, having random humans calling out to him wasn’t even a big surprise anymore. He turned around and found himself facing the redhead who witnessed him almost leading a soul away earlier. 

“Hello again,” the young man greeted. “I just saw you here and wanted to apologize again properly for earlier. I wasn’t paying attention and thought it was my room.” 

“It’s...okay,” Sougo replied. “Mistakes happen.”

The young man offered a bright smile and quickly leaned to the side, peeking at the drink choices behind Sougo. “Would you like a drink? I was thinking about buying one for myself anyway.” 

“Thank you for the offer, but it’s okay.” Sougo stepped to the side, allowing Riku to step up to the machine. 

“Aw, okay then.” The redhead inserted a 100 yen coin and mulled over the drinks. “If you don’t mind me asking, did you come to visit the old man? Was he a family member?”

Sougo cleared his throat lightly and shifted his gaze away from the redhead. “I came to visit in a way, yes.” 

“It’s always nicer to have friends or family around,” the human commented, an innocent smile adorning his features. “Feels much more lively. Or else it can get a bit boring, being here almost all the time.” 

“Ah, being at a hospital for a long time sounds tough,” Sougo attempted to empathize. “I hope you’re recovering well.” 

The redhead cheerfully replied, “Thank you. I’m hanging in there!” He then bent down to take his drink and stepped to the side, letting Sougo access the vending machine. “Staying here can get a little suffocating, but I’m happy that I have people that I can talk to too. My brother’s schedule gets busy sometimes so he can’t visit me as often as he used to.” 

“I see.” Sougo almost immediately pressed the button for a can of warm black coffee. “It’s nice that you were able to make some new friends here.” 

“Ehehe, thank you,” the young man replied after swallowing a sip of his hot cocoa. 

The sharp ‘ding’ of an alarm suddenly interrupted their conversation, prompting the redhead to reach into his pocket and bring out his phone. With a small gasp, he quickly put his phone away and frantically looked around. 

“I’m sorry, I um, I need to get going now. I almost forgot that I had an appointment scheduled with my doctor soon.” When he finally figured out which direction he needed to run to, he turned to Sougo and gave a short wave. “Thank you for keeping me company! Maybe I’ll see you around again.” 

With those last parting words, the human started to jog off. Before he got too far, he glanced back. “I’m Riku, by the way!” 

Instinctively, the reaper replied, “I’m Sougo.” 

It took a few seconds for him to realize that he had given his name to a human once again. With a shrug of his shoulders, Sougo hooked a finger through the can’s ring tab and pulled it open. He casually took a sip of his coffee. 

* * *

_Room 444_

Sougo, once again, stood in front of the hospital door labeled 444, his own feet bringing him back to that room. _“Why am I back here?”_ he wondered. 

Behind the door, he could hear Tamaki’s muffled voice; perhaps having a conversation with someone on the phone? Probably talking with other family members about his mother’s passing and the steps they’d take from here on. Before long, the door slid open, slightly startling Sougo. Right in front of him stood Tamaki, bringing his phone down from his ear and pressing the ‘end call’ button.

“Sougo-san, you’re still here?” 

“Mmhm. I was just making sure I had all my work done here today.” Sougo glanced at the phone in Tamaki’s hands. “How are you both?” 

Tamaki stepped out and closed the door behind him. In a couple of strides, he made his way over to the row of chairs lined along the wall and signaled Sougo to sit beside him. “We’ve been cleaning up and talking a lot with the hospital staff. Aya’s…” Tamaki trailed off. “...She’s hanging in there.” 

“Right…” Sougo whispered. “That’s very understandable. I hope for the best for both you and your sister.” 

“Thanks,” Tamaki replied. “Right now it’s just really sudden for her. We only have each other left, but I know we’ll get through this together.” 

“I believe you both will,” Sougo assured. 

“It’ll take time for sure,” Tamaki continued. “But no matter how long it takes, Aya and I will be there for each other.” 

A relieved smile slowly spread across Sougo’s face. “See, you have a strong heart,” he reminded. 

Tamaki let his shoulders relax and leaned back against the chair. “I think it’s more like I need to.” 

“Sougo-san?” 

Before Sougo could continue the conversation, the calm and familiar voice drew his attention. He looked up and greeted his friend with a small smile. 

Iori stopped to stand beside Sougo while his eyes trailed over to Tamaki’s, who was currently checking his phone. With one eyebrow raised in intrigue, he asked, “Correct me if I’m wrong but, were you just talking to this human?” 

Sougo nodded. 

“He can see you?” Iori’s voice spiked slightly.

“Yes, but I thought you already knew that?” Sougo answered. 

“This is the first time I’ve met this person.” 

“Wait, but the other day--” 

“Uh, Sougo-san,” Tamaki interrupted, his hand still gripping his phone. “What are you talking about?” 

Sougo and Iori tilted their gazes towards each other. Sougo then cleared his throat and spoke, “Tamaki-kun, if you don’t mind me asking, have you ever seen any spirits before? Either in your childhood or anytime in your life?” 

In response, Tamaki blinked a couple of times. His mouth fell slightly open while his eyebrows creased almost immediately. After prying out a nervous laugh, Tamaki asked, “Y-You’re not gonna say there’s a ghost or something here are you?” 

“Well…” Sougo’s eyes shot over in Iori’s direction in a flash before bringing it back to Tamaki. “No.” 

“You just looked away. What was that pause for?” Tamaki quickly asked, his voice starting to quiver a little. 

The reaper turned his whole body towards Tamaki and slightly leaned in, keeping his gaze locked onto Tamaki’s light blue eyes. “You really don’t see anyone else here?”

Tamaki, in return, planted one hand on a spot on his seat behind him and bent his torso back. “S-Sougo-san, the way that you’re talking just makes me think that there really is a ghost.”

“I didn’t mean for it to sound that way-” 

The shrill sound of Tamaki’s ringtone suddenly pierced through the conversation. Tamaki shot up from his seat and scrambled to his feet before fumbling with the ‘accept call’ button. With huff, Tamaki pressed his phone to his ear and looked over at Sougo, who gave a small nod. As he answered his call, Tamaki replied with another nod to Sougo and walked back into the hospital room. 

Now that Tamaki had left for the moment, Sougo could give his full attention to Iori. “You said you’ve never met Tamaki-kun before?” 

“I haven't. How long have you two known each other? He seems to be quite comfortable around you despite you being a reaper.” 

“We haven’t known each other for very long,” Sougo answered. “He has a kind heart.” 

“Does he know what you are?” 

“He does.” 

Iori raised an eyebrow. “And he believes you?” 

Iori earned a nod from Sougo. “It was more like I proved my existence to him.” 

"I’m also surprised that he was able to see you in the first place,” Iori continued.

“About that,” Sougo started. “Is this hospital just teeming with people who can see beings like us? Earlier today I met another human who saw me almost reaping a spirit.” 

Iori rested his chin between his thumb and index finger. “By any chance, did he have red hair and red eyes? A bit clumsy and really friendly. Sometimes almost _too_ friendly?” 

“Oddly a bit specific but yes. And he was quite friendly,” Sougo replied. “Did you run into him too?” 

“Ah…” Iori sighed in realization. “That’s Nanase-san.” 

Sougo’s mouth formed into an ‘o’. “Nanase...Riku-san?” Realization dawned on him. “So the other day..." 

"Yes, I was talking about Nanase-san." 

"So he’s your charge?" Sougo asked. "He seems to be doing well.” 

“He’s feeling better for now, but sometimes his illness flares up when we least expect it,” Iori explained, his eyes softening as one corner of his lips tugged up into a “It’s times like those that concern me.” 

Sougo offered his friend a reassuring pat on the back. “You’re doing your best, Iori-kun.” After a few moments of silence, Sougo continued, “How did you feel when you realized that he could see you?” 

“Extremely surprised, of course,” Iori answered. “I think I stood unmoving for such a long time that Nanase-san kept poking me to get a response.” He then crossed his arms. “It’s intriguing to find humans who can see beings like us. I don’t think it’s necessarily harmful for them, but it may get in the way of your work.” 

Sougo answered with a nervous laugh. “I admit, I was swayed, as you already know. But I finished everything today so our flow of souls should still be okay-” 

Iori hummed in acknowledgement. “Be careful not to get too attached,” he warned. “I hope I’m not coming off as rude, saying that so suddenly. However, due to the nature of your job, I can imagine that forming attachments to humans can complicate things quite a bit.” 

“Yes,” Sougo swiftly agreed. “Like you said, in my case, interacting with humans is not really a great idea. Don’t worry, Iori-kun, your concerns are completely reasonable.” 

“I apologize if I’m overstepping my bounds. I’m not a reaper, so I know I’m not qualified to talk about how you do your job, but as your friend, I would like to try giving you advice when I can.” 

Sougo shook his head. “It’s fine. I appreciate that you’re looking out for me.” He threaded his fingers together and kept them rested on his lap. “After today, I most likely won’t be back here for a while. My assignments for the next few days seem to be all over the country. After today, my life will be back to the way it’s always been.” 

_Back to normal, taking away lives like they’re nothing._

Sougo tightened his grip on his own hands. “These past couple of days were bumps on the road I needed to get past--” 

“I’m back, Sougo-san! Sorry, the call was urgent so I had to take it.” 

Sougo stopped speaking in mid-sentence at Tamaki’s sudden reappearance. The reaper and angel shared a mutual understanding glance. "We'll continue our conversation later," their eyes seemed to communicate.

Iori stood up and, after giving a short bow, started walking away. Meanwhile Tamaki took his seat beside Sougo again and started a conversation with him again. The reaper sat still and maintained eye contact with the young man, absorbing every word. 

...

_Remember, just a bump in the road…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry, I’m SO slow at updates 😭 I participated in the i7 secret santa and at the same time I hit a block and, before, I was trying to finish up and pass my semester so things got just a little hectic. I’m happy that I was able to complete this 2nd chapter tho! ;w;
> 
> Thank you so much for reading the update and the story! I hope I’ll be able to keep writing for this fic!  
> (Also, having Tamaki call Sou-chan “Sougo-san” is so off putting for me- my fingers end up typing “Sou-chan” automatically LOL,, but at this stage, this Tamaki is still on “Sougo-san” terms.) 
> 
> Kudos & comments are always appreciated! I'd love to hear your thoughts! ^^ 
> 
> Please feel free to talk with me on twitter! ( [ @bunnymikaaa](https://twitter.com/bunnymikaaa) )


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